Soap-press.



PATENTED DBC. 12, 1905.

J. J. FORSTER. SOAP PRESS. APPLIOATION FILEDA DB0. so. 1904 2 SHEETS-SHEBT l.

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PATENTED DEG. 12, 1905.

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SOAP PRESS. APFLICATION FILBDADE. 30. 1904 WINESSES:

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905;

Application led December 30, 1904. Serial No. 239,015.

sion of suitable means for regulating the feed Of the blanks to the mold.

The invention is hereinafter more-fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figurel is a top plan view of my improvedv soap-press, and

ig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on a plane coinciding with the axes of the plungers, and Fig. 4 isa i sectional view 'on a plane indicated by the line IV IV, Fig. 2.

In the practice of my invention a crosshead 1 is mounted in suitable bearings 2 on the frame of the machine, said cross-head being provided with a bearing-block 3 for the plunger 4. This lunger is provided with a stem 5, adjustab y secured to the plunger and extending back into a pocket or abutment 6 on the cross-head 1. Within this pocket is arranged a spring 7, bearing at its outer end against a shoulder or collar 8, preferably made adjustable along the stem. This gives a cushioning effect to the lunger when in operation. To the front end of the plunger is 'detachably secured a shapinghead 9, having a suitable shaping-matrix formed on its front or operative end. 'A similar head 10 is secured to a lunger 11, adapted to move back and forth t ough the mold-box 12. The cross-head 1 is connected by a link 13 to a crank-pin on the powershaft 14. On the power-shaft is secured a disk 15, having a cam-groove in its inner face for the reception of a roller 16 on the head 17. This head is connected bya rod 18 to a slide 19, provided with anarm 20, extending at right angles to the direction of motion of the slide and connected to the plunger 11.

The cam-groove in the disk 15 is so shaped that the head 10 will have a movement back and forth into and out of the mold-box 12. These movements of the head 10 correspond with the back-and-forth movements of the head 9, but are differently timed-that is to say, the head 1() will move into the mold-box, and after a blank has been fed, as hereinafter described, the head 9 will be moved forward, so as to compress the blank and cause it to conform to the matrices in the adjacent or opposing faces of the heads 9 and 10. After the compression of the blank both heads are moved outwardly, carrying with them` the compressed cake,`and after they emerge from the mold-box the head 10 is drawn back to the left, so as to separate from the head 9 and leave the cake free to drop.

It frequently happens 'that the finished cake will adhere to one or the other of the heads 9 or l0 after said heads are separated, and hence provision must be made for the dislodgment of the cake, and this without any injury or deformation thereof. To this end a portion of each of the matrices is formed by blocks 21 and 22, secured to the ends of stems 23 and 24, extending through the plungers 4 and 1l. A lever 25, which is pivotally mounted on the plunger 11, has one end. in engagement with the stem 24., and the lever is normally held by a spring 26, so as to draw the block 22 into its seat or recess in the vhead 10. As the plunger 11 is moved forforce the block 22 out with a quick motion.

This movement of the block 22 will free the cake from other portions of the matrix, and the shock due to such outward movement will ordinarily be sufficient to separate the cake from the block 22. This block is made quite small, so that its surface in contact with the cake will be small and the adherence between the cake and block be so slight that the cake will drop on, even if not dislodged by the shock or jar. A lever 27 is pivotally connected to the plunger 5 and has one end in engagement with the stem 23. The opposite end of this lever is acted on by a lever 28,-

-pivotally mounted on the frame of the machine. On the cross-head l is provided an arm 29, normally held by a spring 30 at an angle to the line of movement of the crosshead. As the cross-head moves to the right in Fig. 1 this arm 29 will strike against an abutment or shoulder of the lever 28 and so shift the lever that it will impart a movement to the lever 27, and thereby force out the block 21, forming a part of the matrix in the head 9. As both heads are provided with these dislodging-blocks, all liability of adherence of the cake to either of the heads is avoided.

As at times it may be desirable to grip the cake as the plungers are being separated therefrom, suitable grippers 51 and 52 are mounted on the frame of the machine. The gripper 51 is adapted to be reciprocated back and forth into and out of contact with the soap by means of lever 2S, while the gripper 52 is adjusted so that its bearing-surface will almost contact with the surface of the soap as it is being drawn out of the soap-box.

A slideway or chute is arranged at the front end of the machine, preferably having a slight inclination toward the machine, and terminates at a point just above the front end of the mold-box 12. It is preferred that the bottom of this chute be formed by a belt 31,- passing around a guide-pulley 32, and a pulley on the shaft 33. This shaft is preferably given a step-by-step movement by the slide 19, which is connected by a rod 48 to a lever 49, loosely mounted on the shaft 33 and provided with a pawl engaging a toothed Wheel on said shaft. The blocks are retained on the belt by adjustable side pieces 34. The movement of the blocks from the chute to osition in front of the mold-box is controlled y an arm 35, pivotally connected to standards 36 on the frame of the machine. At its forward end this arm is provided with a finger 37, which projects down and preferably has a hook or shoulder at its lower end. When in normal or raised position, as shown in Fig. 2, this arm, with its shoulder, will prevent the passage of the cake out of the chute. As the cross-head moves back a roller 3S, carried by a standard 39 on the cross-head and normally supporting arm 35, will move back, permitting the arm 35 to drop, and thereby so shift the finger 37 as to allow a blank to drop down into a table 40 in line with the lower wall of the mold-box. As the arm moves down, carrying with it a blank, a vertical projection 41 on the arm is also moved down, so as to prevent a movement of the other blanks' along the chute. As the cross-head moves to the left the arm 35 will be raised, shifting the finger 41 from in front of the blanks and bringing the finger 37 into position to receive another blank. v

In order to apply a lubricant, as water, to the soap blanks as they move along the chute, a receptacle 42 is arranged on suitable standards above the chute and is provided with a regulating or valved discharge 43 to direct the water upon a fiexible absorbent material, as felt, 44. This absorbent material or wiper is carried by a pivot-arm 45. In order to prevent thearm dropping down to such position as would interfere with the pas"- sage of blanks along the chute, a supportingfinger 46 is adjustably secured to one of the supporting-standards of the receptacle and projects under the arm 45. Itis preferred to make the blanks of such shape as cylindrical, so that they may be rotated in order that the lubricating fluid may be applied all around the blank. To insure this application of the lubricating material, the felt or other absorbent material is caused to bear sufficiently that the belt 31 will rotate the blank, and the absorbent material should extend a distance along the chute equal to the perimeter of the blank.

I claim herein as my invention- 1. In a soap-press the combination of reciprocating plungers, heads provided with shaping-matrices carried by the plungers, dislodging-blocks having faces forming parts of the shaping-matrices, stems connected to said blocks and extending through the plun-v gers and means actuated by the plungers in their outward movement for shifting said stems and blocks, substantially as set forth.

2. In a soap-press the combination of reciprocating plungers, heads provided with shaping-matrices carried by the plungers, a dislodging block having a face forming a part of one of the sha ing-matrices, a stem connected to said b ook and extending through the plunger carrying the head of which the block forms a part, and meansactuated by the plungers in their outward movement for shifting the stem and block, substantially as set forth.

3. In a soap-press, the combination of re-.. ciprocating plungers, heads provided with shaping-matrices carried by theplungers, a dislodging block having a face forming a part of one of the shaping-matrices, a stem connected tol said block and extending through the plunger carrying the head of which the block forms a part, a lever pivotally mounted on the plunger for shifting the block and means for shifting the lever, substantially as set forth,

4. In a soa -press the combination of reciprocating p ungers, heads provided with shaping-matrices carried by the plungers, a dislodging block having a face forming a part of one of said matrices, a stem connected to said block and extending along the plunger carrying the head of which the block forms a part, a lever pivotally mounted on the plunger and engaging the stem and means operated by the plunger in its movement to shiftthe lever, substantially as Set forth.

5. In a soap-press, the combination of av feed chute, a swinging arm provided with means for supporting a blank, a stop-finger carried by the arm and means for raising and lowering the arm, substantially as set forth,

6. In a soap-press, the combination of a feed-chute, an arm movable in front of the chute, a blank-supporting finger and a stopfinger carried by the arm, a reciprocating cross-head provided With means for shifting the arm, substantially as set forth.

7. In a soap-press, the combination of a mold-box, a feed-chute having its discharge end arranged in line With the open end of the mold-box, an arm movable from the chute to the mold-box, a blank-supporting finger and a stop-finger carried by the arm, a reciprocating cross-head provided with means for shifting the arm, substantially as set forth.

8. In a soap-press the combination of a feed chute means for applying lubricating material to blanks, and means for rotatinT the blank whereby the lubricating material may be applied all around the blank, substantially as set forth.

9. In a soa -press, the combination of a chute, a belt orming a portion of the chute and an absorbent material arranged to coperate With the belt to change the positions of the blanks, substantially as set forth.

10. In a soap-press, the combination of a chute having a movable portion, means for shifting the movable portion and means for applying lubricating material to the blank and arranged to co erate With the movable portion to turn the blank during the application of the lubricating material, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN J. FORSTER. Witnesses:

CHARLES BARNETT, FRED KIRCHNER. 

